Mint Cafe and Bar

Reviews 4

A

A Stearns

Here is my email I sent to The Mint management, and still havent heard back. IT IS NOT WORTH THE MONEY, DONT BOTHER!!! My husband and myself joined another couple for dinner the other day to give The Mint another try, since it has newly reopened. My husband and I feel we did not get what we paid for. Here is a list of things that went wrong. First my our server was great but when the rest of the restaurant does not do there job neither can she. Second every person at the table ordered the Chateau Belgrade, below is how your menu describes the dish. "Château Belgrade 10oz 37 Shallot garlic butter brushed thick center cut “Chateaubriand” tenderloin served rare or medium rare only for this beautiful steak (We will go beyond per request but might cry while doing so). This one is finished with a Woodford Reserve Kentucky straight bourbon glace with sautéed cremini mushrooms then garnished with a fresh mint leaf. Sit back and relax, this one is slow grilled to spec temps of: Extra Rare 115 (very cold center). Rare 125 (cold center soft). Medium Rare 130 (warm red center). Medium is 140 – more firm and takes 38 to 40 minutes. " The shallot garlic butter, the Woodford Reserve Kentucky straight bourbon glace, and the fresh mint garnish was non-existence on every steak served to the table. So only the meat and the mushrooms are accurate in that statement on the Menu. Third My steak as well as my husband steak was cut in the middle to check the temperature of the meat. Only people that cant cook a steak do that! This releases the juices from the meat and cooks the center along the cut making it cook unevenly. I ordered a Medium rare steak and my husband a medium, we had to switch steaks because there were incorrectly done. Fourth when ordering a salad as a side it should come before the main course. YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO ASK YOU SERVER FOR IT, once your food has arrived. Also we were asked twice for what kind of dressing we wanted on our salads, letting me know that the kitchen had forgotten them. Fifth My husband ordered Yams for 1 of his sides. Below I posted what your menu says: "Add $3 roasted yam with brown sugar" Not only did the yams not have brown sugar the server noticed that and brought out a little cup of sugar so he could assemble it himself Sixth Same problem with the baked potato. 2 people added all the fixings to the potato but it came out plain. Only after pointing this out were the toppings brought out for us to assemble ourselves. Also on my bill we were charged for each topping including butter although on your menu (stated below from your website) it says it comes with butter. "Baker comes with Butter – Add .50cents for sour cream – chives – shredded cheddar – bacon bits. " Also this reads as all toppings are 50 cents, not each topping is 50 cent. Seriously 50 cents for chives, thats ridiculous. (look at the receipt attached, .50 for Chives) I added a photo of my receipt to show you the discrepancies. Plus the Escargot price is different then what your menu says, its lower but still prices for items should match. I am sad to see this restaurant go through so many hands and still be managed so poorly. As you see in my receipt that was not a cheap meal! but it was done so badly that I thought I should email the owner/ manager about this. I hope to hear back from The Mint on why this was so horrible. From another lost customer

CJ

CJ Williams

Firstly, this review is based on the soft opening, and may not reflect the experience from the grand opening forward. Menu and Food Quality: The menu was fairly small overall and extremely over-priced. The appetizers were very small portions and not meant to be shared by more than 2 people. We ordered the steak fingers as an appetizer and there were enough to share between the two of us, however they were cooked terribly. The steak was completely beyond rare and two of the 5 fingers were cut along the grain of the steak, making them impossible to bite through. The timing was awful as well. Our appetizer took nearly 20 minutes and entrees were delivered within 5 minutes of appetizer—barely enough time for the appetizers to cool to a point that we could eat them. Drinks were very expensive and no drink specials were available. We ordered cheeseburgers for entrees. Again highly over-priced. The options for bun are all gluten-free, which I see as a trend. If they would simply offer a whole wheat bun, or ciabatta bread bun, I would have been much more pleased. My burger came on a potato roll, and was COMPLETELY soggy, top and bottom. When our server noticed how my bun was falling apart all over my plate, she simply laughed, said "oh no yours is falling apart," and then walked away. So to segue to the service.... Service: The dining room was nearly empty and I cannot find an excuse for what took so long to greet us and take our drink orders. Our server, somewhat condescendingly, corrected me when she brought out the "chipotle ranch" not the "Cajun Ranch" that was stated on the menu. She was very sweet, but not accommodating enough to bump this review up to 2 stars. Overall Value: I have lived in the area my entire life and this menu is just another attempt to please the small percentage of people that visit the area and do not live here. Economically, Belgrade residents cannot afford to eat here on a regular basis, and even an occasional splurge would be money spent better elsewhere. Final thoughts: As someone who has worked in the service industry for over 10 years, I can say that I will not be returning to the Mint. This restaurant is obviously under the ownership and management of people that are clearly not from Montana, yet trying to offer the "authentic" "wild west" Montana grill dining experience.

JE

Jeremy Soldevilla

For anyone who knows the eateries around the Bozeman/Belgrade area, The Mint always had a reputation for excellent food, nice ambiance and friendly staff, and was one of the favorite restaurants in the area, albeit a tad expensive. It was sold to another owner who turned it into a much less appealing venue, and they quickly went out of business. The Mint re-opened this year under a new team with quality restaurateur experience who revamped the interior, making it more appealing than it was originally, and hired an excellent chef to prepare the same type of fine meals that The Mint has always been known for. Im sorry some of the folks on this site didnt have the experience they wanted, but perhaps they came when the place had just opened. The food is still pricey, but the dining experience is worth it.

FR

Frank Villasenor

Received a recommendation for this place from my Hotel. I do have to say that the steak was quite good. All thing considered, perhaps a little over priced but perhaps worth it too. The ambiance is quite calm and easy going. The one aspect that truly stands out to me is the service. The service staff was great. Ive only been there once, however, and I am unsure of consistency. (Fair warning) The one odd thing is the area the place is in. Had I been driving by Im sure I wouldnt have given it a second look. All in all, if youd like good steak / food this place will work for you. Cant say its your best option but its a good option. Enjoy!